Sonic soda cracker

Notes from the Berkshires, Day 60

Bernstein Pavillion, 3.47 p.m.

In spite of starting off the day by realizing that my tools were not where they needed to be (at Ozawa instead of with me where it would make for an easy drive to Miss Hall’s for the morning’s work), and the subsequent late start caused by the need to go and get them, the day has been better than yesterday. No coincidence, I think, that the sun is shining and the sky is blue. I tuned a Boston 163 at MHS, then headed to Hickory on the grounds. This is one of the charming “huts” scattered around the south edge of the grounds, the only one with a piano, and pretty much open to the elements otherwise. The weather has not been kind to this building, and the roof has developed significant leakage. The piano is now covered by a large sheet of plastic, and most of the floor around it was wet when I arrived. The piano tuned up okay, though, and I took care of some stickiness in the damper system before putting up some warning signs asking the fellows to please re-cover the piano when not in use, and to close the windows and doors. Headed downtown for a cup and a muffin, then back to Ozawa for our team meeting at 1.00. John is gone for the coming weekend, and Steve and Emily are very busy, so I volunteered to learn to tune the harpsichord for the weekends’ rehearsals, taking that little item off their plates. Spent the afternoon working on that skill, which proved to be quite relaxing, after a fashion. Physically it’s much less demanding than tuning a piano, and harmonically it’s simpler, due to the lack of inharmonicity in the much thinner wires. For me, sort of a much-needed palate cleanser, the piano technician’s equivalent of a soda cracker, helping to clear my head of some junk that’s been floating around for the past 24 hours or so. Now heading home for a run, which should finish the job.